A temperature control unit adapted for use in a refrigerator has been developed. By way of example, Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 61-93375, published in 1986, discloses a temperature control unit installed in a rearmost wall of the refrigerating compartment such as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, and the Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 4-161779, published in 1992, discloses a temperature control unit installed outside the refrigerating compartment at a location between a freezer door and a refrigerator door such as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15.
The refrigerator generally comprises a rectangular box-like housing of a double-walled structure including outer and inner boxes with a heat insulating material 12 filled in a space between the outer and inner boxes. The refrigerator shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 is of a type wherein the inner box is divided into a freezing compartment FC adapted to be opened or closed selectively by a freezer door FD and a refrigerating compartment RC defined beneath the freezing compartment FC and adapted to be opened or closed selectively by a refrigerator door RD. The refrigerating compartment RC is delimited by top, bottom, rear and side walls, which form parts of the inner box 1 of the refrigerator housing, and the rear wall confronting the refrigerator door RD.
As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the prior art temperature control unit is accommodated, together with two temperature control knobs 23, in a control box 22 which is in turn mounted at a portion of the rear wall of the inner box 1 adjacent the top wall as best shown in FIG. 12. The temperature control knobs 23 are for the freezing compartment FC and for the refrigerating compartment RC, respectively, and each knob 23 has a radially extending finger-piece 23a formed integrally therewith. The temperature inside the freezing compartment FC or inside the refrigerating compartment RC can be adjusted by turning a corresponding one of the temperature control knobs 23 in either direction with the user grasping the associated finger-piece 23a.
The refrigerator shown in FIG. 14 is similar in structure to that shown in FIG. 12, but has a transverse trim box 7 fixed to a lower portion of the freezer door FD for movement together therewith. As best shown in FIG. 15, a generally elongated circuit carrier board 3 and a generally elongated control panel 9 are connected together by means of a plurality of set screws 4 and the resultant assembly is in turn accommodated within the trim box 7 together with a display panel 5. The trim box 7, accommodating the circuit carrier board 3, the control panel 9 and the display panel 5, is encased within and secured from below to the lower portion of the freezer door FD by means of set screws 25. In the assembled condition, the control panel 9 is covered by two slide door segments 27 each having a display window 26 defined therein.
Adjustment of the temperatures inside the freezing compartment and the refrigerating compartment can be accomplished by opening the associated slide door segments 27 so that the user can press adjustment buttons mounted on the control panel 9, respectively.
It has been found that the prior art temperature control units discussed above have the following problems.
Specifically in the case of the temperature control unit disclosed in the first-mentioned Japanese publication, the user is forced to assume an awkward posture so as to stoop down and then to extend his or her arm deep into the refrigerating compartment RC to reach the temperature control unit when he or she wishes to turn one or both of the temperature control knobs 23.
Also, when a region of the refrigerating compartment RC between the refrigerator door RD and the rear wall where the temperature control unit is installed is filled with foodstuffs to be refrigerated, access to the temperature control unit is difficult to accomplish unless the foodstuffs are removed. Moreover, considering that the temperature control box 22 is installed in a fashion protruding from the rear wall into the refrigerating compartment RC, the maximum space available for storing the foodstuffs tends to be limited.
On the other hand, in the case of the temperature control unit disclosed in the second-mentioned Japanese publication, due to installation of the temperature control unit at the lower portion of the freezer door FD immediately above the refrigerator door RD, not only is the use of a relatively long electric wiring 11 made up of a bundle of electric lines is required. This arrangement tends to bring about an increase in cost. Also, the render information displayed through the display windows 26 is rather difficult to read. Also, considering that adjustment of the temperatures inside the freezing compartment and the refrigerating compartment requires the associated slide door segments 27 to be opened and then closed before and after the user presses the adjustment buttons mounted on the control panel 9, respectively, the repeated opening and closure of the slide doors over a long period of use would eventually result in damage to one or both of the slide door segments 27 to such an extent as to bring about reduction in aesthetic appearance of the refrigerator.
In addition, the temperature control unit may be damaged or malfunction when the freezer door FD opened and the lower portion thereof collides inadvertently against, for example, a cupboard or cabinet positioned next to the refrigerator.